The Jamaican band revival continues. It started about four or five years ago with successful bands like Dubtonic Kru and has since continued with Raging Fyah, Uprising Roots Band and Mystikal Revolution. And now it’s time for No-Maddz’ debut set. They’ve been around for some time, but has until last year only released a few singles. The singles from last year – Romance and Shotta – were the band’s best yet, and it might have been because of their new producers – Sly & Robbie.

Most of the contemporary Jamaican reggae bands have their own sound – Dubtonic Kru leans against funk, Raging Fyah leans towards pop, Uprising Roots is more rootsy and Mystikal Revolution has a rock twist.

Few Jamaican producers have such a distinctive sound as Sly & Robbie and they have successfully managed to transfer it to No-Maddz. And their new album together is Sly & Robbie in their prime.

Sly & Robbie Presents No-Maddz has powerful, erratic beats and playful sound effects set to beautiful vocal harmonizing. Check for example Modern Love Affair, a cut that share harmonies with Color Me Badd’s hit song I Wanna Sex You Up, released in 1991.

No-Maddz also borrows unexpectedly from Spandau Ballet and their monster smash True, which has a similar angelic vocal hook as Love Story. They also play with the melody and discofied groove from The O’Jays’ Now That We Found Love – probably best known today for the versions by Third World and Heavy D & The Boyz – on Ganja Stain.

Sly & Robbie Presents No-Maddz is a joy from start to finish. It’s cleverly produced and tailored to No-Maddz with engineered perfection.